1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an endoscope accessory, an endoscope system, and a method for mounting an endoscope accessory to an endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a desired region inside a living organism is observed by using an endoscope, substances such as body fluid and food residues, which hinder observation of the desired region, on the desired region and surrounding regions are sucked via a distal end opening of a suction conduit that is provided in the endoscope and communicates with a suction device.
In a case where a portion of the desired region is collected for examination, the portion of the desired region is cut by using a cutting tool such as a high frequency snare for example, which is provided in the vicinity of the distal end opening of the suction conduit on the endoscope, and then the portion that has been cut is sucked through the distal end opening of the suction conduit, and finally collected by a proximal end collection tool that is provided at an upstream side of the suction device on the suction conduit. Alternatively, the portion of the desired region is collected by a remotely collection tool such as biopsy forceps provided in the vicinity of the distal end opening of the suction conduit on the endoscope.
Japanese Utility Model Application KOKAI Publication No. 62-74804 discloses an endoscope, which comprises: an insertion portion 10; a proximate operation portion 12 including a forceps insertion opening 30, an air and water supply button 26, an eye piece portion 32, etc.; a control unit 16 including a light source, etc.; and a connecting portion 14 for connecting the hand operation portion 12 and the control unit 14 with each other. In the insertion portion 10 of the endoscope, a first suction tube 20A, which extends from a distal end region of the insertion portion 10 to the proximate operation portion 12, is arranged. The first suction tube 20A is connected to a second suction tube 20B via a mesh filter 38 in the proximate operation portion 12, and the second suction tube 20B is connected to a suction device that is not shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,418 discloses a device 10 for collecting body fluid and tissue fragments from a patient and separating them from each other. The device 10 comprises: a fluid conduit 18 having a distal end region which is disposed at a desired region in a body of the patient; a vacuum conduit 20 having a proximal end region which communicates with a vacuum or suction source not shown; and a tissue collection container 12 which is connected to a proximal end region of the fluid conduit 18 and to a distal end region of the vacuum conduit 20. A first tissue collection basket 30 and a second tissue collection basket 32 are detachably disposed in the tissue collection container 12 along a center line of the container 12, and the first and second tissue collection baskets 30 and 32 can revolve around the center line. The tissue containers 12 can collect tissue pieces, which are sucked together with body fluid from a desired region of a patient's body through the distal end region of the fluid conduit 18, in the first tissue collection basket 30 or the second tissue collection basket 32 by disposing the first tissue collection basket 30 or the second tissue collection basket 32 at a downstream side of the proximal end region of the fluid conduit 18.
FIG. 10 of Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 11-226024 discloses an endoscope accessory 1, which comprises an insertion unit 2 to be inserted into an inner hole in an insertion portion of an endoscope not shown and an operation unit 3 connected to a proximal end region of the insertion unit 2. As shown in FIG. 10, a sample collection device 103 is detachably connected to a collection port 107 at a proximal end region of a suction lumen 12 which extends in a sheath 9 of the insertion unit 2 shown in FIG. 11. The sample collection device 103 includes a sample trap 117 which is connected to the collection port 107 with a sample filter 118, and suction means 120 which is connected to the sample trap 117. As shown in FIG. 11, a snare lumen 13 also extends in the sheath 9 of the insertion unit 2, and a snare wire 14 extends in the snare lumen 13. A snare 16 which protrudes from a distal end region of the snare lumen 13 is connected to the snare wire 14 in the front end region of the snare lumen 13.